I’m More Spiritual Than You! :P

How silly does that headline sound? Really damn silly right? So how come some folks live a life believing their spiritual lives are better than others?

I, for one, know that my spiritual life is far from better, or even as good, as others. But I keep on keeping on, doing the best I can to keep this practice moving in the right direction, one that will benefit all beings.

Like the saying goes “opinions are like…” well you know the rest. And like opinions, and a-holes, we all have some sort of spiritual practice. Whether we are Buddhist (and that’s can be anything from Zen, Varjayana, Mahayana, Pure Land, etc, etc), Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Flying Spaghetti Monster, Atheist and on and on.

Some folks have very strong opinions on theirs. I’ve received numerous comments here telling me how much better the commenter’s religion is and how I will be saved if I can just turn my life over. I’ve been told how I am going to burn in the eternal abyss for not giving my life over, or that because I was born in original sin I am doomed from the get go. That’s great that you have such an “optimistic” outlook on life and religion, but no thanks!

I used to let the comments get me all riled up, I’d totally feed into the argument. It would eat away at me, I’d get so f-in angry it would be uncontrollable.

The great thing about where I am right now, is I don’t give a flying squirrel what your path is, as long as it makes you happy. If you are miserable and think everything is crashing around you, it’s time to reflect and make sure the path you are on is the right one. Yes, we all hit some pot holes on the way, no one said our paths are flawless.

So, if where you are at is making you happy than good on you! If not, keep practicing… that’s why it’s called practice. No one is perfect!

I’m going to end this with something His Holiness has said…

“I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.”

Like this:

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I think squirrel is one of those kinds of words where instead of saying shit you say shoot. There’s a technical term for this. I think ‘squat’ is the word being avoided here. As in I don’t give a squat what you think. Do you? Give a squat (or squirrel) what I think, I mean. Thank you either way.

This “path” thing has become just another rigidity in the way of true discovery. Why do human beings need so desperately to align with something beyond themselves? Isn’t it only for the safety of “being right?” How we resist seting out alone, with no map, no guide, and no expectations.

I wrote this in my newborn grandaughter’s journal (which I will give to her in 20 years):

My darling Lily, you know everything there is to know. This is the literal truth. It’s all inside you. Don’t take to heart the second hand ideas of others. They are devoid of vitality. That’s not the way sweetheart. Go within. The entire world waits for you there.